Candidates for elected city offices were all asked the same questions by the Bexar County Medical Society and have submitted answers to those questions as shown below.
This information is provided as a service from the Bexar County Medical Society, but is not an endorsement.
BCMS does not make endorsements of any candidates for office nor of elected officials.
Lauro A. Bustamante
This information is provided as a service from the Bexar County Medical Society, but is not an endorsement.
BCMS does not make endorsements of any candidates for office nor of elected officials.
Lauro A. Bustamante
City Council District 1
2017 Mayoral/City
Council Candidates
1. Despite affecting everyone in
this community, "community health and wellness" has not been a big
priority at City Hall. "Community health and wellness" had one third
of the ranking that "streets" received in community input via
SpeakUPSanAntonio. Yet it impacts our well being, workforce, economic
development and the prosperity of San Antonio.
What health-related areas do you think
deserve increased attention, priority, and local resources, and, if
elected, how would you elevate the discussion of these health issues at
City Hall and lead effective action to improve health and healthcare in our
community?
My platform is the investment in the smart city concept.
Below is an piece from an internet search of this topic.
The Innovative Technology Behind
A Smart City
The fuel that makes a smart city run
is data – generated by individuals as well as physical infrastructures (for
example highway toll collection). Making data useful requires a backbone of
systems that integrate computation, networking and physical processes, and
includes sensor networks, monitoring/collecting equipment, data analytics --
and humans. Many stakeholders – citizens, city authorities, government
management, infrastructure and service delivery, local enterprises, not to
mention, technology and application providers -- must collaborate to make the
smart city successful.
I believe the smart city concept is
the way to go for San Antonio.
Everyone should be able to receive health care. The city should
make health care attractive to the community. The city can bring community
organization together to invest in community health programs. Education is key.
Teaching Children preventive health care. Teaching the elderly healthy living.
Providing mobile services to go to the people and communities to teach, treat,
and prevent illnesses. All city projects should provide for a healthy
environment to provide clean air, clean water, and a drug free city.
2. Bexar County is the primary source
of funding for indigent health care in our area through the Bexar County
Hospital District and University Health System. How would you, if elected,
promote cooperative efforts to increase services and access to care for the
citizens of San Antonio?
We need to provide the basics for the indigent. A safe place to
live. Clean and sanitary places to live, Food and cloth and medical care. Under
a smart city concept the City can identify the indigent and assist in helping
them become productive citizens through, education and job training.
3. The disparity of health care
between our poorest and wealthiest zip codes/districts is quite striking (Bexar
County Health Collaborative 2016 report). How would you, if elected, reduce
health disparities and improve health outcomes for our lower income
communities/citizens?
In a smart city concept the internet and social media can be an
equalizer the disparities between our poorest and wealthiest districts. From
the smart city concept we can learn to mix public housing, job training, and
incentives to businesses to reduce the disparity of health care between our
poorest and wealthiest districts. We need to look at how other city have solved
these disparities with open source internet communications. This the smart city
concept.
4. San Antonio has a high incidence of obesity and diabetes mellitus and has been ranked as high as second in the nation for obesity in recent years. Past city efforts attempting to improve these rates, such as trying to reduce the prevalence of sugary drinks in our community, have been met with controversy. What ideas do you have to reduce the incidence of these chronic health issues?
The city can control venders in city properties and city contracts
to reduce harmful foods and drinks in the cities diet. City sponsored education
in our public schools on the prevention of obesity and diabetes. A Health
public is good for everyone.
5. According to the CDC, child abuse and neglect are
serious problems that can have lasting harmful effects on its victims. The goal
in preventing child abuse and neglect is clear — to stop this violence from
happening in the first place. What local policies, resources and
efforts will you support to promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and
environments for all children and families?
Education, Education, Education is the key. In a smart City concept
people first are empowered to police against child abuse reporting abuse to the
authorities. Education, enforcement, and training of the children and parents
to stop abuse. The City can partner with churches, business, county, state, and
non-profits to stop abuse. Under a smart city concept all resources are pooling
to a common goal to stop child abuse.
The closer we
get to creating smart cities, the more we discover that the possibilities are
endless, and will have a direct bearing on individual health and well being –
in ways we can only imagine today.
